Method of tamping railway-ties



l(N0 Model.)

E. G. PATTERSON. METHOD. 0F TAMPING RAILWAY TIES.

N0.'4"72',0"72. Patented-Apr. 5, 1892.

li n

INVENTOR VvWlTmEssEs NITED STATES lParietti OFFICE. l

ELISHA G. PATTERSON, OF TITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF TAMPING RAILWAY-TIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0.472,072, dated April 5, 1892.

Application filed December 28, 1891. Serial No. 416,283. (llo model.)

v the desired elevation, which in railroad parlance is denominated surfacing the track. The method whichI employ consists in rst raising the depressed cross-tie, string-piece, or

other rail-supporter to the desired level andv supporting it temporarily in that position in any convenient manner, leaving a cavity thereunder to be filled with ballast, and then conveying and compact-ing the requisite amount of ballast into and within such cavity and under or within the cross-tie or rail-bearer by means of a blast of compressed air.

In the use of all forms of rail-bearers, when through inequalities in tamping the ballast under or within the bearers they become unequally depressed in use by the weight of pass ing trains, thus causing unevenness in the track surface, the practice heretofore has been to remove or disturb the ballast near the sides of the tie or other bearer'suffieientl y to expose its lower surface or edge, then to raise the tie or rail-bearer to the required degree and support it in that position, while fresh ballast is forced in or under the tie by means of metallic tamping-tools operated by hand. This method is open to serious objections, among which are the unavoidable breaking up by the tamping-tools of the solidified ballast under or within the bearer, the disturbance of the settled ballast around the bearer, which exposes it to the absorption and passage of water until it again becomes solid-ied, the impracticability of equally tamping under or within each bearer, and the unnecessary expenditure for tools and labor in track-surfacing.

The apparatus which I prefer to employ in the practice of my method consists of the com` bination of an air-compressor or blast-machine with an injector of special construction.`

, For this purpose I have found the air-compressor of Root, which is easily operated by hand and readily portable, as being very satisfactory, although I do not confine myself to that particular machine or other apparatus herein described.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionalelevation of the injector detached from the air-com pressor. Fig. 3 is a detached view in perspective of modified form of nozzle.

Like letters of reference denote the same parts in each of the figures.

A is the air-compressor, which may be of any desired construction, being adapted to force a current of air through a pipe or tube. The air from-the compressor is conveyed by means of a pipe or by a flexible tube a into 'the upper end of the injector-tube b, the upper end of which is preferably of larger diameter than the .lower end, so as to increase the pressure of the air at the nozzle or exit, and has an aperture or valve h, for a purpose hereinafter stated. The lower end of the injector or nozzle pipe c is preferably placed at an angle -to the middle portion d, sothatthe nozzle g may be introduced in a horizontal or approximately horizontal position into the cavity to be filled with ballast.

e is the feed-pipe, having a funnel top communicating with a vessel containing the ballast, the feed-pipe being preferably vertical, excepting at the lower end e', where it enters the nozzle-pipe c of the injector, which is inelined in the direction of the blast. The point where the lower end e of the feed-pipe c enters the nozzle-pipe c is in front of the contracted portion f of the nozzle-piece for the reason that the ballast is fed by gravity rather than by suction. A detachable nozzle g is used at the end of the nozzle-pipe c, the shape of which may be varied to suit the shape of the aperture through which the ballast is to be inserted, and may be conical, as at g', or wide and flat, as at g, or other convenient shape; but the area of the orifice at g or g should be equal to that of theinjectorpipe at f. The injector thus constructed for the injection of solid material I term a distributer.

The method of using this apparatus is as follows: The railroad-rail and depressed bearer ICO is lifted to the desired level and temporarily supported in that position, the ballast being removed from the end of the bearer, so as to expose the vacancy to be filled and to admit of the suiicient introduction of the distributer. Ballasting material of a texture which will readily pass through the pipes ot' the distributer and into the vacant space beneath or within the bearersuch, for example, as gravel-is fed into the hopper of the distributer, from which it descends through the pipe e, and as it enters the nozzle-pipe of the injector is carried by the air-blast generated by the air-compressor through the nozzle of the distributer and into the cavity under the rail-supporter With a force depending on the pressure generated by the air-compressor, if the valve or opening 71, at the top of the airpipe of the distributer is closed. If, however, the valve h is more or less opened to admit the outward passage, ot' air, the pressure of the blast of air from the compressor is correspondingly reduced as the air from the compressor finds a greater or less vent at the valve h. The valve 7L may be a simple opening in the pipe and may be conveniently operated by opening or closing the aperture by the hand of the operator. The operation is continued until the vacanc 7 under the bearer is filled.

In filling under depressed metal cross-bearers or longitudinal metallic bearers the boltholes in the top table or other apertures may be utilized in the introduction of the ballasting material, which Will prevent the necessity ot removing the ballast from the side or end of the bearer. 'Where timber longitudinal bearings have to be raised, it is evident that the ballast on one side must be removed sutliciently to place the distributer in position, and this will have to be done in the case of solid bearings at a sufficient number of points to insure the perfect vfilling of the eX- isting vacancy, and may also be readily and advantageouslypracticed in surfacingwooden cross-ties Where it is inconvenient to fill the cavity from the end of the tie.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The method herein described of conveying ballasting material to and depositing and compacting it Within a cavity or cavities under the bearers of said road-rails, consisting in forcing it into such cavity or cavities by means of an air-blast, substantially in thc manner herein set forth.

2. The method hereinbeforedescribed of surfacing the rails of railroads when depressed in use, which consists in raising the bearing to the desired level and temporarily supporting it in the desired position and then injecting into the cavity thus formed under or within the bearing the necessary amount of ballasting material by means of air-pressure applied, substantially in the lnannerdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of December, A. D. 1891.

ELISHA G. PATTERSON.

Vitnesses:

W. B. CORWIN, Il. M. CoRWI-N. 

